The modification of vehicles to make them suitable for being lived in is known. For example caravans that are towed by powered vehicles such as a family car are well known. A caravan comprises a passive vehicle mounted on wheels that has an interior that has been adapted to be lived in. For example it might typically contain a kitchen and living area and optionally also a bathroom and toilet facility.
The caravan is towed by a car, typically the family car, to where it is required and then it is detached and set up as a place to live in. The presence of caravans in caravan parks near the seas is a ubiquitous feature of Australian society. It offers flexibility in the sense that the caravan can be towed to wherever it is required and it is not fixed to a single destination. Further it offers a living area with fairly comfortable amenities and is considerably cheaper than hotel or unit accommodation.
A development on the caravan has been the motor home. This comprises a vehicle that has an engine and a front seat for a driver and passenger and also driver's controls that enable it to be driven in the usual way like any other car. It also has an area behind the front seat that has been adapted to form a living space having considerable amenities. For example it might contain a bed, cupboards, a kitchen area, a storage area for clothes and the like, and a washing area often with a toilet and a basin. It thus provides a living area not unlike that of a caravan that is integral with the car as distinct from being a separate vehicle.
Motor homes are often preferred by couples because they are more compact than caravans and do not need to be hitched up and then unhitched all the time. One can simply get in a motor home and drive off. With the change in lifestyles that is occurring and with baby boomers starting to retire the uptake and usage of motor homes has increased markedly and this increase is predicted to continue.
A motor home is made by taking a light commercial van of a type tat is commercially available and is purchased off a show room floor and then fitting out the rear of the vehicle to create the living space. For example a light commercial Mercedes vehicle can conveniently be used, eg the Mercedes Benz Sprinter 313 CDI long wheel base van. The interior space of these vehicles is limited. Road regulations typically specify that the maximum width of a vehicle travelling on the roads is 2.5 m.
A constant challenge in designing motor homes is to utilize the limited space that is available in the best possible way thereby to provide a comfortable and functional living environment. While some development and improvement has taken place in this area over the years there is a continuing need to come up with further improvements to further improve utilization of the very limited space. This is particularly so as more and more affluent and discerning customers start using motor homes.
A particularly limited dimension in a motor home is the lateral width of the vehicle. Accordingly it would clearly be advantageous if the motor home could be adapted to be able to create a wider living area when the motor home was parked and transformed into their recreational or camping mode in a way that was trouble free, reliable and did not impose a requirement for additional drive systems which in turn used up more of the precious space within the vehicle body.